Iran Launches Missile Attacks On Israel Amid Escalating Tensions In The Middle East

Iran fired about 180 missiles at Israel on Tuesday evening after the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Lebanon killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Salvos of missiles rained down on Israel at around 19:30 local time (1630 GMT), triggering sirens and sending residents running for shelter. Loud explosions were heard in Jerusalem as Israeli air defense systems successfully intercepted some Iranian missiles, as witnessed by Xinhua correspondents.

A Palestinian man was killed by shrapnel in the occupied West Bank, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported. Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom said two people in Tel Aviv sustained minor injuries. There have been no immediate reports of fatalities within Israel.

Traffic on Jaffa Road, a major street in Jerusalem, returned to normal shortly after the attacks, though a heavier-than-usual police presence remained, according to Xinhua correspondents.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would retaliate against Iran's missile attack. "Whoever attacks us -- we will attack him," Netanyahu told a Security Cabinet meeting focused on potential counter-attacks and the ground military campaign in Lebanon.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that if Israel retaliates by attacking Iran, it will face "crushing and destructive" attacks.

In a statement posted on social media platform X after the attack, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the "broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation."

"This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire," he wrote.

LONG-ANTICIPATED ATTACKS
This marks the second round of Iranian missiles fired at Israel. The first round in April was the first-ever direct Iranian strike on Israel, launched in retaliation for an Israeli attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus that killed seven IRGC officers.

The previous round of Iranian missiles was intercepted with assistance from the U.S. military and other regional countries. Israel responded with airstrikes in Iran, but a broader escalation was avoided.

The latest Iranian attacks followed high-profile assassinations of anti-Israel figures who have close ties to Iran.

Iran vowed to retaliate after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran in late July while attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

On September 27, Iranian-backed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes. In response, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed to avenge Nasrallah's death.

The two rounds of attacks have resulted in no heavy damage within Israeli territory, though both sides assess their impact differently.

In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC claimed that 90 percent of the missiles fired on Tuesday successfully hit their targets, including several air and radar bases and the "conspiracy centers" involved in planning the assassinations of leaders like Haniyeh and Nasrallah.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said several missiles hit central and southern Israel, and "quite a few" were intercepted by air defense systems.

ISRAEL'S EXPANDED WARFRONT
After the missile attacks on Tuesday, Israel's military vowed to "carry out attacks throughout the Middle East tonight" in retaliation.

Israel has been engaged in a yearlong war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In the waters off Yemen's coast, the Houthi group is attacking ships that have links with Israel.

Following frequent exchange of fire with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October last year, Israel has escalated its intensive airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds and other targets since September 23.

In addition to the explosions of communication devices that have injured many Hezbollah members -- an act Israel has not openly claimed responsibility for -- the country is considering a ground offensive following weeks of heavy bombardments in Lebanon.

The latest confrontation between Israel and Iran has raised fears of another expansion of Israel's warfront and a broader regional war, while the United Nations and many world leaders are pushing for a ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as de-escalation in the Middle East.

However, both Israel and Iran have shown little willingness to back down.

"Iran made a big mistake tonight, and it will pay for it," said Netanyahu during Tuesday's Security Cabinet meeting.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said after the attacks that his country is not a warmonger but "will stand decisively against any threat."
-XINHUA